Starr Manning
Starr Manning is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. The character has mainly been portrayed by actress, Kristen Alderson since March 1998. Alderson continued playing Starr on ABC's last soap opera, General Hospital after OLTL 's cancellation. Conception Casting The role was portrayed by child actors Ariella and Natalie Jamnik from 1996 to 1998 and Meghan Rayder in February 1998.Starr Manning profile - SoapCentral.com Retrieved December 24, 2008. Best known in the part is Kristen Alderson, who assumed the role in February 1998 at age six,Kristen Alderson profile - Soaps.com Retrieved on December 24, 2008. appearing in her first episode on March 20, 1998. Alderson was later put on contract with the series in April 2001, at the time making her the youngest performer on daytime television with a contract role. Upon the serial's cancellation, Alderson agreed to appear in the soap opera General Hospital, to continue her portrayal of Starr along with other One Life to Live cast members. On January 27, 2012, Alderson announced that she had signed a three year contract with GH. Alderson makes her debut on GH on February 24, 2012. Development The oldest of two children to parents Todd Manning and Blair Cramer Manning, Starr is known for her mischievous behavior, exacerbated by her parents' volatile relationship. Still as strong-willed as ever, Starr has nonetheless settled down as she goes through her teen years. Notably, Starr and her younger brother Jack are the only two characters who are biologically related to both of OLTL''s longtime rivals, Victoria Lord (her paternal aunt) and Dorian Cramer Lord (her maternal great-aunt). Her best friends are Langston Wilde, Markko Rivera and Matthew Buchanan (played by Kristen's real life brother, Eddie Alderson). Starr is also known with her long-term relationship with Cole Thornhart, the son of the woman her father raped, and the man her mother had a stillborn child with. In 2008, a teenage Starr became pregnant with Cole's child. The storyline was covered in news media to parallel with real-life pregnancies of celebrities. Backstory Starr is born on-screen prematurely on January 8, 1996 Blair Manning. At the time of her birth, her father was believed to be dead and her mother was dating Patrick Thornhart. However, when Todd returned, he was crushed to find Blair in Patrick’s arms. Todd later kidnaps Starr to make Blair suffer until his sister, Viki convinces him to take Starr back home. Later, during a bitter custody battle between Todd and Blair, Starr gets sick and nearly dies from aplastic anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Blair and Patrick’s unborn son, Brendan Thornhart would turn out to be a match but the child is stillborn. Later, Alex Olanov is found to be a match and willingly saves Starr’s life. Starr graduates high school in June 2010, and her birth year is revised to 1992. Storylines 1999–2005 Todd is forced to leave town after getting into some legal trouble and Blair gets involved with Max Holden. When Todd returns, Starr makes it her missions to reunite her parents. Todd and Starr’s interference in Blair and Max’s marriage would eventually break the couple up. Starr begins wanting a little brother and is heartbroken when it is learned that Blair is pregnant with Max’s child; however they are led to believe the baby died at birth. Soon, Todd and Blair reunite and adopt a little boy named Jack. Starr becomes jealous of her new brother and all the attention he gets from her parents. Starr begins acting out and even ends up running away from home to get more attention. When Starr gets caught in a fire, Child protective services steps in and places Starr and Jack in a foster home; fortunately Viki obtains custody of the kids. After things begin settling down, Blair divorces Todd again when it is revealed the Jack is actually Blair's son whom Todd believed was Max's son and sold him. Starr would survive all of her parents’ tumultuous marriages. In 2003, when Starr is kidnapped by Mitch Laurence who is seeking revenge against the Lord family, Blair trades places with her. Todd manages to rescue Blair but is presumed dead and to keep her children safe, Blair sends them to live with her cousin, Cassie in Atlanta. Starr then steals Cassie’s credit card and returns home to find that her mother is seeing Walker Laurence, Mitch’s brother. However, Starr realizes that Walker is actually Todd who has gotten plastic surgery. Starr promises to keep her dad’s secret and Blair eventually marries Walker, but divorces him when she learns that truth. After Blair mistakenly accuses Todd of rape and has him sent to prison, Starr sets out to break him out. Starr and her new friend Matthew Buchanan manage to find the van transporting Todd to prison and attempt to get Todd to leave with them. When he refuses, another prisoner, Troy MacIver takes advantage of the situation and takes Matthew hostage. As punishment for her crime, Starr is put on probation and must do community service at Llanview Hospital. Blair eventually realizes that Todd did not rape her but she refuses to take him back. Starr begins using the internet to contact Todd and she comes across a chat room where she meets Travis O’Connell. Starr tricks Blair into going to New York where she runs off with Travis. When a man named Laser sees a poster reporting Starr as missing, he kidnaps her and holds her for ransom. Laser is later arrested and Starr is returned home to her parents. Later, Starr and Travis are reunited when Travis arrives in Llanview. Todd originally doesn’t approve but pleads with her dad to let her see Travis. Todd and his nephew, Kevin Buchanan were at odds with one another, once again. To protect Todd, Starr and Travis hack into the ''Banner's computer database print malicious material about Kevin. Travis and Starr would also share their first kiss. But, the young romance would soon come to an end when Travis and his family must go back to New York. 2006–2008 Blair is devastated when Todd leaves her at the altar but Starr realizes that there is more to the story. It turns out that Todd has been kidnapped by the deranged Margaret Cochran who later kidnaps Blair and forces Todd to have sex with her in exchange for her release. Starr and Todd notice the instant attraction between Blair and Dr. Spencer Truman. Margaret would eventually return and reveal that she was pregnant. But, when Todd reject’s her, Margaret snaps and attempts to kill Starr. Fortunately Starr manages to escape unharmed. Todd plans to kill Margaret and lures her to lake where they begin struggling. Later, the bodies of a woman her unborn child are discovered and they are believed to be Margaret and her child. Todd is sentenced to death and Blair began dating Spencer. Fortunately, it is discovered that Spencer helped Margaret fake her Starr is constantly teased by her classmates about her parents’ crazy lives and the ring leader is one of her classmates, Britney Jennings. Starr however finds two friends, Langston Wilde and her boyfriend, Markko Rivera and she even falls for Cole Thornhart, the star football player. Cole would later begin using steroids to get stronger for football; Cole father is Patrick Thornhart. Brittany encourages a classmate to slip some of the drugs into Cole’s drink at a party and he attacks Starr. However, the two refused to stop seeing each other and their parents eventually give in. Cole has difficulty dealing with the fact that Todd raped his mother, Marty Saybrooke in college. Later, one of Patrick’s enemies kidnapped Cole and Marty, and Marty is presumed dead after the van she was in exploded. Todd and Blair joined forces to track down Todd’s long lost son by the later Margaret, Sam. They would remarry in order to gain custody of young Sam. Todd makes a decision to move his family to Hawaii to keep them safe. Cole and Starr are devastated and decide that their last night together should be the night they make love. Todd walked in on them and nearly beat Cole to death. Todd once again forbids Starr from ever seeing Cole again. Todd forces Starr to be home schooled to keep her away from Cole. Langston later finds Starr with a pregnancy test which confirms that Starr is pregnant with Cole’s child. Todd eventually let Starr go back to school after she promises to stay away from Cole. Starr attempts to get an abortion but Cole stops her. The two then run off to Virginia Beach together where they plan to raise their baby together. Blair, Detective John McBain and Todd track the teens down in Virginia. Starr originally plans to give the baby to Marcie McBain, the woman who had adopted Sam as an infant but was forced to give him; that is until new born Hope turns up dead on November 6, 2008. It revealed that Todd had planned to have the baby kidnapped which is why Hope never made it to the nursery. However, his plan never involved Hope’s death. Starr, Cole, and the rest of the family are devastated. Starr is furious when she learns that her father’s plan was to raise Hope with Cole’s mother, Marty who was thought to have died months earlier. Starr would prepare to testify against her father after he was charged with Hope’s attempted kidnapping. However, Téa Delgado, Todd’s ex-wife and attorney would convince Starr that her father was truly sorry for what he did and she shockingly changed her statement on the witness stand drove a wedge between herself and Cole. 2009–2011 In the spring of 2009, it is discovered that Hope was actually switched at birth and was actually being raised by Starr's cousin Jessica Buchanan. Cole and Starr share a brief reunion with Hope before Marice and Michael claim the Hope. However, Marcie soon returns Hope to her parents. In June 2009, Starr and Cole prepare to marry before Cole is sent to prison. However, the wedding is called off when Cole is enlisted to go undercover to bust school drug dealer, Asher. When Todd catches Cole selling drugs to the mayor's son, he takes a picture forcing Starr to come clean about Cole working undercover for the Llanview Police Department. However, Todd tells the mayor about the operation, not realizing Mayor Stanley Lowell is behind the drug operation. Starr and Hope are kidnapped by one of the drug dealers, but they are soon rescued by Brody Lovett. In January 2010, around Starr's 18th birthday, she learns that Danielle Rayburn, Téa's daughter was actually fathered by Todd, and they are sisters. Starr helps Dani come to terms with Todd being her father. In the spring of 2010, Llanview U student Hannah O'Connor is assigned as Cole's lab partner for a project. Hannah turns out to be the scorned ex-girlfriend of Robert Ford, the man whom Langston is cheating on Markko with. Langston writes the school musical, which she models after Cole and Starr's story, calling it "Starr X'd Lovers". One day, Cole shows up to one of the rehearsals and attacks Todd landing him in the hospital. Hannah claims that she saw push Marty down a flight of stairs, which causes her to miscarry. Cole is arrested for the attack leaving Starr with no date for prom. She eventually decides to go alone and Mayor Dorian pulls some strings to get Cole released temporarily so he can go be with Starr for the night. In June 2010, after Cole refuses to let her see him in prison, Starr is comforted by James, the younger brother of Robert Ford. James is forced to take Starr and Hope with him when he is on the run from one of his father's thugs, Bull. James shows up at Starr's graduation telling her that Bull has her information and is looking for her; the two then hide out in Viki's cabin on Llantano mountain. James opens up to Starr about his abusive criminal father, Eddie who forced into being a car thief when he was 15. After James steals $50, 000 from Eddie, Bull comes after him. Still on the run, in July 2010, Starr and James steal a car from the local dealership to give to Bull hoping to pay off the debt. On July 6, during a confrontation with Bull, Starr accidentally shoots James; fortunately he recovers and also confesses his feelings for Starr. In August 2010, after learning that Téa dying from a brain tumor, Starr attends her and Todd's wedding. She soon confesses her feelings for James to Langston. In October 2010, Starr, Hope and Dani are kidnapped by Dani's step-uncle, Elijah Clarke. When Starr escapes with Hope, she is then taken hostage by Hannah and locked away in her attic. Hannah wants to get rid of Starr so she can be with Cole. James arrives to help but also gets trapped. She then forces them into a cemetery at gunpoint and forces them to dig their own graves. Hannah's knocks out James and forces Starr to bury him alive. Fortunately, James awakens stops Hannah from killing Starr. Meanwhile Cole is arrested for Elijah's murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison. In early 2011, Starr and Cole decide to end their relationship and she begins dating James soon after. In April 2011, Starr and Langston share a tearful goodbye as Langston moves with Markko to California to work on movie. Soon James's ex-girlfriend Deanna Forbes comes to Llanview hoping to reconcile with him. Meanwhile, Starr deals with her brother Jacks' evil bullying of Shane Morasco and warns him it will come back to bite him. Starr meets Sebastian “Baz” Moreau, an aspiring music producer at Llanview U who is soon revealed to be Téa's nephew, the son of her brother Tomás. Baz convinces Starr to record some music with him and he even kisses her, but she warns him that she is in love with James. In August 2011, Starr is shocked when a man with her father's original face arrives at the David Vickers Premiere claiming to be the "real" Todd Manning; a torn Starr turns to James for comfort and they make love for the first time on August 10. It is soon revealed that Todd's presumed dead biological mother, Irene Manning gave birth to twin boys, Todd whom she gave to her cousin Peter Manning and the other was actually Victor Lord Jr, the man whom Starr believed to be her father for nearly a decade. Starr quickly accepts the real Todd back into her life driving a wedge between her and Jack. After Victor is murdered, Jack promises to prove that Todd is the culprit. In September 2011, Baz reveals that he has enlisted producer, Rick Powers to produce her music. However, Starr is reluctant due Rick's past as a porn producer; the same producer who blackmailed Dani's boyfriend and James's brother, Nate Salinger into filming a porn film with Deanna. Baz later leave town, leaving Starr to deal with Rick. Starr assists Todd in breaking out of jail after he is arrested for Victor's murder, and she is arrested. After being released, Starr must deal with Rick trying to tarnish her image by using her recent criminal activity to paint her as a "bad girl". Rick convinces the Ford clan, and Starr to do a music video featuring her and Nate. Starr attempts to back out of the deal, but realizes Rick has the rights to her music. She eventually agrees to let Rick be her full time manager. 2012— During a blackout on New Year’s Eve when several prisoners escape from Statesville, Cole and Starr are briefly reunited before the cops come searching for him and she hides him. Soon Hannah shows up and holds Starr, James, Todd and her cousin/brother, Sam at gunpoint. Hannah attempts to shoot Starr and Cole jumps in front of the bullet. He recovers and Todd helps them fake his death so he can reunite with his parents, Patrick and Marty in Ireland. On January 11, 2012, James breaks up with Starr after realizing she'll always love Cole. Starr then reunites with Markko and Langston when she relocates to California to pursue her music career. Todd arranges for Cole to move to California as well and the four friends share a happy reunion. In February 2012, Starr, Cole and Hope get into a car accident while traveling through Port Charles, New York. Cole and Hope don’t survive but Starr is rescued by Michael Corinthos and his brother, Detective Dante Falconeri. Blair soon arrives and must break the news to Starr about her family’s fate. Michael, who feels guilty for not saving Cole and Hope, supports Starr despite his father, Sonny being the prime suspect in the shooting that caused the accident; he even allows Starr to stay at his apartment during the trial. After Sonny is acquitted, a distraught Starr kidnaps him at gunpoint threatening to kill him; fortunately, Michael talks her down. Michael feeling betrayed has Starr arrested for attempted murder and Téa comes to town to represent her. But at the last minute, Todd blackmails Sonny and Michael into changing their story, leading to her release. Later, Michael and Starr forgive one another, and decide to be friends. Johnny Zacchara assist Starr in obtaining her recording contract from Rick, and they begin working on new material. Meanwhile, Starr moves in with her new roommate, Trey Mitchell when they both rent Maxie Jones's apartment. References External links *Starr Manning profile - ABC.com *Starr Manning profile - SoapCentral.com Category:Characters introduced in 1996 Category:One Life to Live characters Category:1996 Character births Category:American people of English descent Category:Characters from Pennsylvania Category:Lord family Category:Cramer family Category:General Hospital characters Category:Fictional singers Category:Teenage parents